Eid al-Adha 2018: Here’s everything you need to know

The festival honours the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command. Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, God provided a ram to sacrifice instead. (Photo: AP)

The ‘Festival of Sacrifice’ or Eid al-Adha is the second of the two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year, the other being Eid al-Fitr.

The festival honours the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command. Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, God provided a ram to sacrifice instead.

In commemoration of this, an animal is sacrificed and divided into three parts. One third of the share is given to the poor and needy; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbours; and the remaining third is retained by the family.

According to the lunar calendar, the day falls every year in Dhul Hijja, which is the last month of the Hijri calendar:

The festival marks the final day of Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

Eid al-Adha is one of the greatest celebrations of Islam. Muslims across the world take to the streets and gather at a place of worship, promoting brotherhood among different groups of society.

People greet each other “Eid Mubarak” and exchange gifts and sweets.

The day ends with a grand feast where three meals are prepared, one for the family, friends and the neighbourhood, the other for the poor and the third for the immediate family.